End of Month Reports

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

September 2020 Compared to the Climate Means

Hotter September 2020

A hotter than average September brought summer 2020 to an end. With a mean temperature of 25.7°C, September 2020 was 1.1°C warmer than the climate norm. Nights were particularly warm. The mean minimum temperature of 22.9°C exceeded the climate mean by a staggering 1.8°C. Temperatures dropped to below average on only two occasions. These were the 13^th and 14^th, thanks to widespread thunderstorms. A cold front which swept Europe at the end of the month also reached the Maltese Islands. This ensured a cool final five days.

September 2020 produced 133.7 mm of precipitation at our weather station in Għarb. That is just under three times the amount in a typical September. 83% of this fell in just a few hours, during a torrential thunderstorm in the afternoon of the 14^th. There were 8 days of rain in total last month. Thunder was heard on 6 of these. Some hail was observed on 1 of these, the 14^th. Of the 8 rainy days, 6 had a total rainfall of 2.5 mm or less. Statistically, September 2020 was much wetter than normal when compared to the climate average. When you dig into the numbers, however, you’ll see that much of the rain fell in one or two heavy rainfall events halfway through the month.

September 2020 was not as windy. The wind reached Force 7 on only four days. The highest wind gust of 61.2 km/h (from the Northwest) was measured on the 26^th. 17 of 30 days were characterised by a wind speed of Force 2 (light breeze).

Rainfall Totals around the Maltese Islands in September 2020

Għarb – 133.7 mm

Victoria – 123.7 mm

Xewkija – 88.4 mm

Nadur – 123.5 mm

Mellieħa – 79.4 mm

Buġibba – 74.0 mm

Mġarr – 66.0 mm

Għargħur – 106.0 mm

Attard – 172.8 mm

Rabat – 53.8 mm

Msida – 134.4 mm

Valletta – 81.6 mm

Luqa – 143.4 mm

Żabbar – 142.8 mm

Birżebbuġa – 73.0 mm

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

August 2020 Compared to the Climate Means

Hotter August 2020

August 2020 was the hottest month of the year. It was a staggering 1.4°C hotter than July, the second hottest month of 2020. The average temperature exceeded the climate norm by 1.1°C. The climate average was exceeded on a total of 25 out of 31 days. The maximum temperature for August was registered at the height of a heat spell which characterised much of the second and third week of August. The mercury on the 15^th soared to 35.8°C. Nights offered litle relief throughout. With the exception of just one night (the 21^st), the minimum temperature never dipped below the 23°C mark.

Our weather station in Għarb recorded no precipitation in August 2020, as rain clouds kept well away of the Maltese Islands. It is quite common to experience a completely dry August. In fact, six of the past ten years experienced a bone dry August. An interesting observation was the lack of cumulus clouds (locally referred to as the ‘għarixa’). These were only sparsely observed. This implies a lack of cool air aloft, a sure sign of a stable atmosphere.

Overall, the wind was lighter than normal. The wind gusted up to Force 6 on just three days. All three were back-to-back (the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th). The highest wind gust was registered at 45.1 km/h (Force 6), on the 6^th. These three days were also the only three days with a maximum temperature below 30°C. This was due to a short-lived area of instability across the central Mediterranean.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

July 2020 Compared to the Climate Means

Cooler Days but Warmer Nights in July 2020

At 30.6°C, daytime highs were 0.6°C cooler than normal. Conversely, at 22.9°C, nighttime lows were 0.9°C warmer than the norm. This made for an overall difference of only 0.1°C from the climate mean. Up till 23^rd July, maximum temperatures exceeded the climatic norm of 31.2°C on only three days. This was due to the presence of an upper level cold pool. This covered the central Mediterranean for a large part of the first two thirds of the month. Apart from keeping temperatures cool, this cold pool was responsible for several days with a breezy Northwest wind. The final nine days, on the other hand, were characterised by a heat spell. July 2020’s hottest temperature was recorded at 34.6°C on the 30^th. This was followed by the month’s warmest night. A minimum temperature of 25.8°C was measured just before dawn on the 31^st. Dipping into the sea during this heat spell provided little respite. The sea surface temperature shot up to 28°C, a full 3°C above the climate mean, in the final days of July 2020.

July 2020 is known for being the year’s driest month. This time round, it was a tad different, at least for a few localities. A heavy rain shower produced up to 30.5 mm in localised areas. Rain in July is rare, but not unheard of. This was only the third time in recent decades that such heavy rainfall occurred in July. Meanwhile, our weather station in Għarb only recorded a brief shower, with 0.3 mm of rainfall.

Levels of relative humidity were significantly higher than in a typical July. In fact, all but one morning recorded relative humidity greater than 90%. Most mornings were characterised by mist or fog patches and low clouds. The more humid air can be attributed to the warmer than average sea across the central Mediterranean.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

June 2020 Compared to the Climate Means

Completely Dry in June 2020

Air temperatures varied between the highest maximum of 33.0°C (on the 30^th) and the lowest minimum of 17.4°C (on the 1^st and 2^nd). Averaging at 27.0°C, the mean maximum temperature was some 0.8°C below the average for this time of year. The minimum temperature, on the other hand, was 0.3°C warmer than the expected value. This made for June being an overall fairly typical one with regards to air temperature. No heatwaves were experienced. In fact, temperatures only exceeded the 30°C mark on 4 days.

Atmospheric pressure was slightly weaker than what one would expect in a typical June. The central Mediterranean was affected by zones of instability more often than usual. This is also reflected in the number of days with winds in excess of 39 km/h (Force 6). This wind speed was reached on a total of 9 days in June 2020. The strongest gust was measured at 59.5 km/h from the Northwest on the 5^th. That day also accounted for the lowest atmospheric pressure reading for June 2020. Most days last month were characterised by a Northwest wind. A more unstable atmosphere also contributed to an overall higher level of relative humidity.

Despite the greater instability, June 2020 ended up being a completely dry month. It was the third completely dry June in the past 10 years. The closest rain showers and thunderstorms were over Sicily.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

May 2020 Compared to the Climate Means   

One Heatwave and a Severe Thunderstorm in May 2020

Most days last month were characterized by air temperatures at or slightly above the climate average. The same cannot be said for the stretch of days from the 12^th till the 17^th, however. Warmer than average temperatures characterized much of May 2020’s second week. Using the national criterion for a heatwave, we may conclude that the Maltese Islands experienced one heatwave during this month. This lasted for three days, from 14/05/2020 till 16/05/2020. The maximum temperature measured during this heatwave was of 32.3°C on the 16^th. It was the hottest May day in 14 years. With a monthly mean temperature of 21.0°C, May 2020 was 1.4°C warmer than usual. Both days and nights were substantially warmer.

The most notable event last month was a severe thunderstorm on 27/05/2020. At least two thunderstorms drenched mainland Malta on that day. The second of these, which struck late in the afternoon, was confirmed as having been severe. It produced wind gusts of up to Force 8 (over 62 km/h), hailstones with a diameter of around 2.5 centimetres (the size of a €2 coin) and a confirmed waterspout (dissipated when over the beach) close to Armier. Total rainfall ranged from 6.4 mm (Birżebbuġa) to 41.2 mm (Għargħur). A separate shower occurred over parts of Gozo. The western half of the sister island, which encompasses our weather station in Għarb, remained completely dry. Għarb saw only one day of rain. This was the 30^th, when 6.6 mm of rain were measured during an afternoon shower.

This year’s May lived up to the expectation of it being a blustery month, with 10 days in total seeing winds greater than Force 6 (39 km/h) on the Beaufort Scale. Soitherly winds dominated May 2020. In fact, the wind blew from a southerly quadrant on a total of 17 days.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1016.9hPa. This is well above average for this time of year.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

April 2020 Compared to the Climate Means  

Warmer and Drier April 2020

Spring made its prescence felt across the Maltese Islands last month https://polska-ed.com/kupic-generic-cialis/. Temperatures warmed up gradually over the course of April. Overall, air temperature averaged at 16.9°C, surpassing the climate norm by 0.8°C. Despite this, last month still recorded the coolest April day in many years. With a maximum temperature of 13.4°C, 3^rd April was a full 5°C cooler than a typical April day. The warmest day last month was the 28^th, with a 23.7°C high. This was exceptionally warm, especially when compared to the warmest temperatures recorded in April of previous years.

Only 8.2 mm of rain were measured over the course of April 2020. This is less than half of the total amount expected during this month. As is the norm in spring, much of this rain fell with showers which deposited fine desert sand from over the Sahara. 399.2 mm of rain have been recorded at our weather station in Għarb since last September 1^st. That is some 130 mm less than in a typical year.

The first four months of the year are the windiest locally. April 2020 conformed with the norm in this aspect. An average wind speed of 20.1 km/h over the past 30 days, meant that winds were in line with the average. The wind exceeded Force 7 on 3 days. April’s highest wind gust of 61.2 km/h from the East Southeast was registered on the 20^th. This was due to a deep low pressure system traversing the central Mediterranean.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1016.6hPa, above the average for this time of year. This explains the warmer and drier than average conditions experienced in April 2020.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

March 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

March 2020 eases winter’s drought

With 33.3 mm of rain, March 2020 was wetter than both January 2020 and February 2020 combined. Only 6.4 mm were measured in the previous two months combined. The total of 33.3 mm still means that last month was, albeit by a narrow margin, drier than average. Some localities around the Maltese Islands had a wetter March though. It was down to the spatial variation in heavy rain cells on the 25^th and 30^th. The 10.3 mm measured on the 10^th was the highest 24 hour total since last 11^th December  All in all, March 2020 helped ease the drought that has gripped the Maltese Islands since the beginning of December 2019.

A glance at data reveals that the Maltese Islands experienced a typical March temperature-wise. The mean temperature of 14.2°C was only a marginal 0.2°C above the climatic average. Daytime highs averaged 16.8°C, 0.2°C below the norm. Delving deeper, however, will reveal that nighttime lows were on the whole more than half a degree warmer than usual. Values of air temperature varied evenly over the course of March 2020. A notable observation is the lowest maximum temperature of 13.3°C, measured on the 30^th. No day was as cold in either January 2020 or February 2020.

March is typically one of the windiest months locally. March 2020 was much calmer, with only one day of gale-force winds. This was the 26^th, when the month’s highest wind gust of 72.4 km/h from the Northwest was measured.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1015.5hPa, slightly below the average for this time of year. This was a stark contrast to atmospheric pressure readings in January 2020 and February 2020. Both months were characterised by extremely high atmospheric pressure. It was the result of a strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The pattern flipped during March. A strong high pressure developed close to the British Isles. This expanded to cover a large part of central and northern Europe. The high pressure over those regions deviated the storm track south, encouraging low pressure systems to reach the central Mediterranean.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

February 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

February 2020 was the Driest February on Record

With a mere 0.5 mm of rain – registered in a brief isolated light rain and/or hail shower on the 5^th – February 2020 has become the driest on record. It broke the record set in 2016. According to climate data, February is normally one of the year’s wettest months. The amount of rain measured over the course of this year’s exceptionally dry February is more comparable to the values usually registered during the summer months. In fact, past data reveals that February 2020 was drier than July 2019.

With regards to air temperatures, the Maltese Islands experienced a very mild February. The mean maximum of 16.6°C was just over a degree above the average. The mean minimum of 11.4°C exceeded the norm by almost two degrees. The first ten days of the month registered all of February 2020’s extremes. With an 18.9°C high, the first day of the month was also the warmest. A few days later, on the 7^th, our weather station measured February 2020’s lowest temperature of 8.1°C. From 10^th February onward, under persistent anticyclonic conditions, the temperature stabilised.

February is typically the windiest month, locally. February 2020 was much calmer, with only one gale. The highest wind gust of 74.0 km/h, from the Northwest, was registered on the 5^th. The wind did not exceed the 50.0 km/h mark for the rest of the month. Calm nights were a common occurrence.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1023.2hPa, a full 6.6hPa greater than the norm for this time of year. The maximum atmospheric pressure reading of 1034.7hPa came very close to breaking the all time record for our weather station. A strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) prevailed throughout the month. A stronger than usual Azores High in combination with a deeper than normal Icelandic Low was reflected by data gathered at our weather station in Għarb. Anticyclones characterised our weather in February 2020. All low pressure systems, with the exception of one, originating over the Atlantic were forced northwards. This meteorological situation meant that the Maltese Islands experienced complete dryness and milder temperatures in February 2020.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

January 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

January 2020 was one of the Driest on Record

The month of January was extremely drier than average. In fact, it came close to breaking a decades old record for the driest January ever. The measly 8.9 mm measured over the course of this month was just 10% of the total we normally receive in a typical January. In terms of dry weather, January 2020 continued the trend set at the beginning of December 2019. Only 4 days of rain were recorded. With the exception of a brief hailstorm in Mellieħa, no thunder or hail was observed across the Maltese Islands this month. All rain this January came in brief isolated showers, a weather pattern we often experience in late spring.

With regards to air temperatures, the Maltese Islands experienced a mild January. Daytime highs, at a mean of 15.7°C, were only slightly above the average. The average nighttime low of 11.1°C, however, was a solid 1.2°C greater than the mean for this time of year. A brief cold spell towards the start of the month registered January 2020’s coldest minimum temperature of 7.3°C. No other cold spell was observed over the course of the month. The rest of January 2020, especially its second half, was marked by warmer than average temperatures.

January is typically a windy month, locally. January 2020 was overally quite breezy, with winds reaching the Force 4/5 mark on a number of days. However, it was marked by the complete abscence of gale-force winds. The highest wind gust last month was of only 56.3 km/h, from the North Northwest.

A very strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was present throughout the month. A stronger than usual Azores High in combination with a deeper than normal Icelandic Low left its impact on the data gathered by our weather station in Għarb. Anticyclones characterised our weather in January 2020. Low pressure systems coming in from the Atlantic were forced northwards. This meteorological situation meant that the Maltese Islands experienced some very dry weather and milder temperatures throughout the month of January 2020. This was confirmed by atmospheric pressure gathered at our weather station in Għarb. The mean value of 1025.5hPa exceeded the climate average significantly. The maximum atmospheric pressure reading of 1034.5hPa came very close to breaking the all time record.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

December 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Warmer and Drier December 2019

Temperatures throughout the last month of 2019 followed the trend set in previous months. Daytime highs exceeded the norm by just less than half a degree. Nighttime lows, on the other hand, were almost a solid 2˚C warmer than average. December 2019 started on a very warm note, with maximum temperatures of around 20˚C throughout the first week. Nighttime lows never dipped below the 16˚C mark for the duration of the first week. A few days with cooler than average temperature values followed. This didn’t last long, however, as warm conditions returned to the Maltese Islands by mid-December. These prevailed till after Christmas, when the first cold snap of winter gripped the central Mediterranean. It was at this time, that the coldest day and night were measured, with temperatures of 12.0˚C and 6.5˚C respectively.

In a stark contrast to the previous autumnal months, December 2019 was very dry. The 34.6 mm accumulated during the month were a full 75 mm short of the climate average. A typical December is the wettest month of the year. This was the result of anticyclonic conditions that prevailed over the central and eastern Mediterranean. These acted as a barrier, deviating the majority of storm systems to the north. The 10 days of rain and 3 days of thunder observed last month less than the average for this time of year. The 4 days of hail exceeded the climate average, however.

Averaging at 14.0 km/h, the wind speed was weaker than the norm. Weaker winds have been a dominant feature of autumn so far. The month’s windiest day was the 14^th, when a gust of 82.1 km/h (Force 9) blowing from a Northwest direction was recorded.

Atmospheric pressure conformed with the norm.

Last month’s highlight was a severe Mistral on the 14^th. A depression (980hPa) formed over the Gulf of Genoa, and migrated across Italy and into central/southern Adriatic Sea. Simultaneously, a ridge of high pressure developed to its east, over France. The pressure difference generated a severe gale from the Northwest across the central Mediterranean. The depression was derived from one which had produced a windstorm across the British Isles and northwest Europe some days before. This was only the second gale in an otherwise unusually calm autumn. The bulk of last month’s precipitation was produced by this system. The severe gale-force winds and heavy rain from the system caused disruption and some light damage.